diff --git a/.env b/.env
deleted file mode 100644
index 235eceac..00000000
--- a/.env
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-# Application Environment (development | preview | production)
-EXPO_PUBLIC_APP_ENV=development
-
-# API Configuration
-EXPO_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://dummyjson.com/
-
-# Example Variables
-EXPO_PUBLIC_VAR_NUMBER=10
-EXPO_PUBLIC_VAR_BOOL=true
-
-# Build-time only secrets (no EXPO_PUBLIC prefix - NOT accessible in src folder)
-SECRET_KEY=my-secret-key
-APP_BUILD_ONLY_VAR=build-only-value
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ea038ef9..085241fb 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+# Secrets — never commit
+.env
+.env.*
+!.env.example
+
 node_modules/
 .expo/
 dist/
@@ -20,4 +25,6 @@ yarn-error.log
 # The following patterns were generated by expo-cli
 
 expo-env.d.ts
-# @end expo-cli
\ No newline at end of file
+# @end expo-cli
+
+.env
\ No newline at end of file